Over 100,000 civil servants are to strike on budget day in an escalation of a dispute over pay, pensions and job security.

The PCS union has announced a new strike date of 15 March, when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is due to unveil his spring budget.

It follows a strike last week that saw hundreds of thousands of members in 123 government departments walk out across England, Scotland and Wales.

The union warned that next month’s strike could be joined by a further 33,000 members working for 10 more employers, including HMRC, whose ballot results are due on 28 February.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Rishi Sunak doesn’t seem to understand that the more he ignores our members’ demands for a pay rise to get them through the cost-of-living crisis, the more angry and more determined he makes them.

“PCS members are suffering a completely unacceptable decline in their pay. By April, one third of HMRC staff, for example, will be earning just the minimum wage. 40,000 civil servants have used a foodbank. It’s an appalling way for the government to treat its own workforce.”

Mr Serwotka said the prime minister “can end this dispute tomorrow if he puts more money on the table”.

Liz Truss cancels BBC interview with a week to go until Boris Johnson’s successor is announced

He warned: “If he refuses to do that, more action is inevitable.”

The PCS union is calling for a 10% pay rise, protections to pensions and protections from job cuts.

The government has said the demands would cost £2.4 billion which is unaffordable.

Related posts:

MPs declare Uighurs are being subjected to genocide in China UK records three coronavirus-related deaths and another 2,439 cases Sabina Nessa: Teacher murdered during five-minute walk to meet friend in pub, police suspect Flash flooding, people rescued and trains cancelled as third storm in a week hits UK Children potentially left ‘at risk of significant harm’ in borough where Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was murdered, inspection finds Police officers charged over sharing offensive messages with Sarah Everard’s killer named Security tests for new airport workers being completed in record time, ministers claim, despite travel disruption continuing Queen’s role formally rewritten by Buckingham Palace as official duties scaled back Four men believed to have been in Oldham mill blaze named by police Children coerced into most severe form of sexual abuse online – report Thousands of flights could be delayed as Border Force workers launch strike action ‘Completely reasonable’ for Westminster to consider blocking Scotland gender reforms, says Sunak